Rejected 2019 return based on my deceased spouse's agi

[davidsf444]

Same problem with deceased spouse.  Wasted a lot of time with it.  Wish I had seen this forum earlier.  Eventually gave up and sent in the return but the IRS gave no recognition after 2 months so I followed the advice of the FreeTaxUSA solution mentioned by several on this forum and that worked.  Now the IRS tax status at least shows that the return has been received so I'm sure it won't take too long for the refund to get to me.  I also agree with others that TurboTax needs to fix the problem.  It's obviously not an IRS problem because the e-file works using FreeTaxUSA.  Don't any TurboTax employees monitor this forum?  Especially since so many people have had the same problem and the number of posts is, therefore, so high.

[davidsf444]

Why do these supposed TurboTax experts keep saying the solution is to give up and mail the return?  Can't any of them see that many of us have solved the problem by re-inputting the IRS return on the FreeTaxUSA site?  Everyone that's done that has succeeded in accomplishing the e-file within a couple of hours.  I guess in doing so, they'd admit that TurboTax can't get its programmers to fix the problem.

[davidsf444]

Since we're all having the same problem with the deceased spouse, those of us who saw that the solution was to go to FreeTaxUSA went there and re-input just this year's data.  So no, since we didn't import prior year data, we had to input things like name, address, SSN, etc., but at least we got the IRS refund e-filed free of charge.  As you're probably aware, if you listen to the supposed experts at TurboTax, there's no solution except to snail mail the return and wait many extra weeks.

Shame on TurboTax for not fixing this even though some have raised the concern to high levels of management.

[davidsf444]

Listen "Champ":  You're wrong!  Haven't you seen all of the posts on this forum?  100% of us who have bothered to re-input our tax information onto the FreeTaxUSA site have succeeded.  The e-file goes through within two hours.

[davidsf444]

I also succeeded with FreeTaxUSA but didn't understand what you are saying about the "state ID".  If you have time, let me know as it would be very enlightening if what you've discovered is true so that TurboTax will finally have no excuse but to fix its bug.

[davidsf444]

Some people mention the reluctance to use FreeTaxUSA due to a complicated 1099-B.  Many people don't realize that in any tax program it's not necessary to input all the stock transactions.  You can input in 4 categories:

Short-term reported to the IRS

Short-term not reported to the IRS

Long-term reported to the IRS

Long-term not reported to the IRS

In so doing, you don't have to input any individual transactions and these category subtotals are readily available on your consolidated 1099.  Caveat:  If you have unusual items like "wash sales" this doesn't work.

[davidsf444]

VictoriaD75,

Didn't you read the 50 or so posts on this forum where we've all succeeded in e-filing after we went to FreeTaxUSA and re-input our TT data?  So it has NOTHING to do with the Social Security Administration putting a stop on the SSN of the deceased person.  Otherwise, why would the e-filing work with FreeTaxUSA?

After hundreds of us having the same issue, why aren't TT programmers addressing this issue?

[Bonny K]

I found out how to avoid getting that error message! My FIL passed away last year. My MIL is the surviving spouse. I kept getting the same error message when I e-filed that many people have posted about. I switched the order of the two names, to put my MIL first, and the return was accepted! I was able to keep the deceased box checked for my FIL and I put "widowed" for my MIL.  Yay! Didn't have to submit by paper!  TT experts should say to try this.

[mpiatt]

Good for you.  Great thinking!  I wish I'd thought of that when I was filing back in early March.  My paper return has yet to be processed.

[mkthomp1618]

Out of curiosity in turbo tax was the decreased filer the primary taxpayer or the spouse?  In my parents' case my Dad was the primary taxpayer and is now deceased. 

In the Free Version did you file with the decreased as the primary?

[mkthomp1618]

I wish I had thought to try switching the names.  I have already mailed in the hardcopies to fed and state or I would try switching the names.

I'm afraid to file electronically now as the state hardcopy has the deceased as the primary and switching them on the fed would probably cause the state to reject.

Hopefully, more people see your post.

[stevenp9971]

Here's an update. I received the state refund, but I am still waiting for the federal refund.

[CW3403]

Bingo!  Well done Bonny!  👍  That seems to be the trick.  I went back in the INFO section and edited the following:

1)  I removed my dad's name and entered my mothers name first (the surviving spouse).

2)  Then I entered my fathers name (the deceased spouse) second instead of my mother.

I labelled him as deceased just like before and filled in all the needed information.  Before when I went to E-File it appeared to be entering my mother's name as the filer as it was her name that showed in one of the final popup messages  but apparently that was not the case until I put her as the first name in the initial filing information section.  You know I'm not a software programmer but did some programming many years ago.  This should be a pretty easy fix for them on the code level considering the other massive data handling operations they have to do to make this work.  Or if nothing else at least add a note to remind us to enter first the name of the surviving spouse if married filing jointly and a death has occurred over the past year.

Anyway thanks again Bonny for helping us see the forest through all the dang trees!  😀

[jandcmurray5]

Thank you SO much for this suggestion. After many hours of pulling my hair out this worked! I will say it required me to switch the names on all of the forms that I had entered in. When I changed the order of the names, it automatically reversed the names on all the forms. This is REALLY SHODDY programming from TurboTax...sad that they refused to own it and fix it or even just put a note in there to enter the surviving spouse as the primary filer.

[jtalley777]

I had the same problem that everyone else is having, and I had to end up paper filing the return.  My question to everyone is, has anyone gotten their paper return processed.  It's been 9 weeks and the IRS doesn't website says they can't even find a return on the refund status tool.  When I call the 800 #, I can't get a hold of anyone.  Anybody having similar experiences?